Match holder



May 8, 1934. F. J. HEKRDLE 1,958,340

MATCH HOLDER Filed Dec. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented May 8, 1934- UNITED STATES PATENT QFFLCE MATCH HOLDER Application December 19, 1932, Serial No. 647,990

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a match holder and. more especially to improvements upon the subject matter of Letters Patent No. 1,670,258, dated May 15, 1928.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character, wherein the body thereof is formed into a plurality of compartments, these opening into a hopper common to such compartments and accessible from without the body so that matches as originally contained within boxes can be stored within the compartments and through gravity action will work into the hopper, the body being provided with a cover which serves as a guard for the boxes of matches when being emptied into the body and thus eliminate the scattering of the matches during the dumping or emptying thereof from the boxes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character, wherein matches may be delivered therefrom without danger of jamming or interfering with convenient removal.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder, wherein the same is preferably made from sheet metal and is normally closed to prevent rodents from reaching the matches and to eliminate danger of fires, novel means being provided for yieldingly maintaining the holder closed and for manually opening the same to remove matches.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character, wherein the compartments formed therein carry gates or shutters which function to enable the true fitting of the matches from the compartments without such matches becoming clogged or falling crosswise of the compartments, the matches being gravitated to a hopper from which such matches are dispensed from the holder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character, wherein the construction thereof is such as to permit the dispensing of matches in a convenient manner and with dispatch and such construction being novel in form.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character, wherein on the loading of the same the matches are dumped into the center compartment first and in this manner the matches will be sustained straight so as to avoid jamming of the holder.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eificient in its operation, light in weight,

tion consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a support showing the match holder constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing the introduction of matches from boxes within the holder.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an elevation showing the cover or lid of the holder employed for the introduction of a match box into the holder.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the match holder comprises a body 10 preferably made from sheet metal and in this instance of rectangular shape having the open bottom 11 and a removable cover or lid 12 at its upper open end, the cover or lid being hereinafter more fully described.

Arranged interiorly of the body 10 are transversely disposed vertical partitions 13, these having the side flanges 14 riveted at 15 to the body and being spaced an equidistance from each other so as to divide the body into a plurality of compartments 16 located side by side and opening at their lower ends into a dispensing hopper 17 formed by the opposed long and short sloping walls 18 and 19 respectively, the long wall 18 being formed with a well portion 20 accessible through an opening 21 in the body 10.

The partitions 13 at their lower ends have hinged thereto gates or shutters 22 which confront the communications of the compartments 16 with the hopper 1'7 and guide matches 23 thereintc so as to eliminate the jamming of such matches or the falling of the same crosswise of the compartments, the matches being gravitated from the compartments into the hopper.

The opening 21 is normally closed by a door 24 which has an arm extension 25 to which is pivoted at 26 a pull rod 27 carrying a finger ring 28 at its free end, the arm being extended beneath the open bottom 11 of the body 10 at one side thereof. The rod 27 plays through a guide strap 29 and is preferably located on the side of the body 10 next to the support 30 carrying the hanger bracket 31 for said body. This bracket 31 is riveted or otherwise made fast to the body at the longitudinal center of its rearmost wall or side.

The arm 25 carries an ear 32 to which is connected a coiled retractile spring 33, the same being also connected to the hanger bracket 31 and such spring 33 urges the door 24 to closed position relative to the opening 21.

The lid or cover 12 carries opposite side edge flanges 34 which are coextensive with the length thereof and at right angles to the plane of the lid or cover while rotatably carried at the longitudinal center of said lid or cover 12 is a turn key 35 having a hook end 36 and a finger engaging head 37 respectively. This lid or cover is adapted to overlie the open side of a box 38 or container for the matches 23, the box or container being the original package and is cut or mutilated to have one side thereof open while the hook 36 is engageable with the hinged flap end 39 of this box 38 so that the said box can be telescoped into a selected compartment 16,

then by turning the hook 36 the flap 39 will be released and the matches within the box dumped into the compartment in which the said box is telescoped. To remove the box after the emptying thereof the hook 36 is turned to engage the other closed end of the box as is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, whereupon said box in its empty condition can be readily extracted or removed from the holder.

The lid or cover 12 is inserted in the upper open end of the body 10 when the latter has been filled with matches and the key 35 is seated in notches 40 in opposite ends of the body 10 so that in this manner the lid or cover 12 is retained in closing position in the upper open end of the body.

The matches within the hopper 17 can be dispensed by extracting the same through the opening 21 after the rod 27 has been pulled upon at the ring 28 which automatically lifts the door 24 giving free access to the hopper through the opening 21.

What is claimed is:

A holder of the character described comprising a body, a cover for the body and having a longitudinally disposed rotatable key formed with hook and handhold ends, respectively, the said body having seats for receiving the key, and side flanges on the cover for fitting within said body.

FRANK J. HEKRDLE. 

